The Mid-Week brief is an unfettered look at what the press is saying about passenger rail — if you see something you dislike, or know to be inaccurate, don't hesitate to reach out to those responsible for the article by using the comment board of a linked website, or emailing the publication directly.

Union Station in Washington DC has a grand development planNew York TimesWashington, D.C.'s, venerable Union Station, which opened with much fanfare in 1908, was never about the federal union but about the union of two railroads whose separate terminals had formerly occupied valuable space blocks apart, even encroaching on the National Mall.
But, over time, the monumental Beaux-Arts building and its rail yards that united railroads divided the city it served, its 20 north-south tracks bisecting neighborhoods rather than linking them.

Myth of the high-speed rail 'boondoggle'Daily KOSLast month, the California State Senate followed the State Assembly to vote to authorize the issuance of $4.6 billion in state bond funds to begin construction on the first phase of a planned California High-Speed Rail, including millions of dollars for local rail modernization in the LA basin and the San Francisco peninsula. Cue conservative outrage.

Japan just broke its own HSR record — US isn't even in conversationDaily KOSThe Japanese maglev trains are fast. They run over 300 mph pretty easily. Japan also holds the existing speed record for a train at 361 mph. Recently they broke that record. Meanwhile, the United States is still stuck in made up boondoggles to catch up with futuristic countries like China and Mexico.

Mountain Rail Music Adventures Combine a remote mountain excursion with a mountain music special event or Mother’ Day and Father’s Day Special Vacation Package. The Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad operates historic steam-driven locomotives and vintage diesel-powered passenger trains departing three historic depots – Elkins, Durbin and Cass, West Virginia – April thru December.

NJ Transit's looming 9 percent fare hike only just the beginning2nd Ave. SagasAccording to author Benjamin Kabak: When we first heard word of a looming New Jersey Transit fare hike — the first since 2010 but fifth since 2002 — initial reports indicated the raise could be as much as 25 percent. Now that the budget numbers are coming into view, that steep hike seems to be off the table, and fares may go up by only nine percent in the coming months. But the reprieve may be only temporary as a variety of factors are at work that could push NJ Transit fares even higher in coming years.
The Wall Street Journal broke news of the hike last night.

Northeast Corridor agencies debut 5-year capital improvement planProgressive RailroadingVarious regional transit and government agencies earlier earlier this month released a five-year capital plan for the Northeast Corridor, which runs from Washington, D.C., to Boston.
Amtrak, the U.S. Department of Transportation and eight commuter-rail agencies are among those that have signed onto the plan to address the region's aging infrastructure. The plan covers a wide swath of improvement projects, from basic repairs, such as replacing old ties, to major rehab efforts on the region's bridges and tunnels.
An estimated $21.1 billion is needed to fully fund both types of projects, officials said.

Meet the opposition to Texas high-speed railCityLabTurns out you don't need to rely on public money to be hated as a U.S. high-speed rail project. That much is becoming clear from the battering being given to a big Texas bullet train plan that's privately funded.
A quick recap: Texas Central Railway, a private firm, is pushing a very promising proposal to link Dallas and Houston with a Japanese-style high-speed train capable of doing the trip at 200 mph.

Editorial: High-speed rail foes using flawed logicStar-TelegramOpponents of a proposed privately financed high-speed rail line between Houston and Dallas are using arguments that are all over the map.
Some are logically inconsistent, but that doesn't seem to matter. The opposition, generated mainly from rural counties along the proposed route, is aimed to stop the project in any way possible.
Some North Texas legislators have joined the opposition, and they should reverse that stand.

DART supports HSR, but its Austin lobbyist is working against the effortThe Dallas Morning NewsA proposed bullet train to connect Dallas and Houston, Texas, features the support of Dallas Area Rapid Transit, which could stand to benefit from an influx of rail passengers into the city's center. But as the Legislature considers efforts to quash a private company's multibillion-dollar plan to build such a line, DART's longtime Austin lobbyist, Galt Graydon, is also working for Texans Against High-Speed Rail, the main group opposed to the project.

Forget bullet trains, Amtrak needs a new bridgeNational JournalIn President Barack Obama's first term, the talk of the Amtrak Northeast Corridor's future was state-of-the-art bullet trains zipping between Washington, D.C., and Boston in a luxurious three hours — half the time it takes today.
Today, Amtrak President Joseph Boardman would settle for something a little less lofty: one working bridge and two new tunnels.

New York City's subways see highest ridership in 65 yearsProgressive RailroadingRail ridership along MTA New York City Transit's lines increased by 2.6 percent in 2014 compared with 2013's ridership, agency officials reported.
NYCT logged a total of 1.751 billion customers for 2014, which marked the highest annual ridership in more than 65 years, agency officials said in a press release.
Weekday ridership saw a 132,000 yearly increase in 2014, with the system now carrying 5.6 million customers each weekday and 6 million customers on the weekend.

Amtrak operation costly, but passenger rail still has charmTyler Morning TelegraphGayle and Billy Harper arrived at the Amtrak depot early. Their train wasn't scheduled for departure until 9:25 a.m., but the couple was half an hour early. They were excited, they admitted.
"It's our first wedding anniversary," said Billy.
Billy and Gayle both lost spouses to cancer. They knew each other as children, they explained, and when they reconnected as adults, the many things they had in common brought them together. As their anniversary neared, they looked for a special way to celebrate.

All Aboard Florida selects GE for signaling, PTCRailwayAge
All Aboard Florida has selected GE Transportation Gobal Signaling Solutions to design and manufacture signaling, grade crossing and related Positive Train Control equipment for its 235-mile higher-speed passenger rail corridor, which will connect Miami with Orlando International Airport.
AAF, a wholly owned subsidiary of Florida East Coast Industries, is scheduled to begin service from Miami to West Palm Beach in late 2016 over existing, upgraded Florida East Coast Railway trackage, with a stop in downtown Fort Lauderdale.

FRA issues grant for Amtrak service expansions in CaliforniaProgressive RailroadingThe Riverside County Transportation Commission received a $2.89 million grant from the Federal Railroad Administration to increase Amtrak service to the Coachella Valley and San Gorgonio Pass.
The grant will fund the completion of an analysis of route alternatives, an environmental impact report and a service development plan, RCTC officials said.
"While we still have a lot of work to do, this is great news for Riverside County, the Coachella Valley and the San Gorgonio Pass," said RCTC Chairman Daryl Busch, who also is mayor of Perris, California.

Amtrak will wrapup track work early, no more delays expectedThe Star-LedgerAmtrak officials said that track work on the Northeast Corridor line that is delaying trains passing through Metropark and Rahway will wrap up a day early.
The track work, which caused 15 minute delays to New York bound NEC and NJ Transit trains was scheduled to be completed on April 28.
Instead, that work to replace concrete ties, which support the rails, will be competed on April 27, said Craig Schulz, an Amtrak spokesman.

8 critical rail projects that Amtrak can't affordCityLabThere's a new report out from the Northeast Corridor advisory commission, established by Congress to help improve the most critical stretch of rail in the United States, and it isn't pretty. The commission — made up of officials from states, the U.S. DOT, Amtrak, and commuter rail agencies — has outlined a "first-of-its-kind" coordinated 5-year plan for major projects between Washington, D.C., and Boston via New York.

Amtrak will wrapup track work early, no more delays expectedThe Star-LedgerAmtrak officials said that track work on the Northeast Corridor line that is delaying trains passing through Metropark and Rahway will wrap up a day early.
The track work, which caused 15 minute delays to New York bound NEC and NJ Transit trains was scheduled to be completed on April 28.
Instead, that work to replace concrete ties, which support the rails, will be competed on April 27, said Craig Schulz, an Amtrak spokesman.